MODULE 4

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LEARNING OUTCOMES

 Explicitly describe the meaning and nature of social sciences and its scientific characteristics.
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TOPICS
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Perspective in the Social Sciences

4.1 Social Science as a Scientific Study of Human Society, Meaning, Concepts, Nature and Scope.

4.2 Various Disciplines of Social Sciences

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SUBJECT MATTER CONTENT

Lesson 4.1 Social Science as a Scientific Study of Human Society

In the early stages of the development of human civilization, the people’s primary concern was to
work for their own survival. The common desire to survive and provide for each other’s subsistence
was the basis for the establishment of society. As time progressed, people’s knowledge became more
refined and development. Individuals, learned to ask questions in the process. The beginning of the
tradition of social sciences has been developments of the 19th century. Social Sciences such as
economics, political sciences, and history, though have along story of their own, could get the
recognition as “Social Sciences” only in 19th century.

Thinkers and writers of social sciences include Herodotus known as the “father of history” ;
Aristotle often known as the “Father of Political Science”; Manu, the great law giver; Kauyilya, an
authority of social science more than 2000 years ago.

In the development and progress of human knowledge, the social sciences were the last to develop
after the natural sciences. And while the origin of the social sciences can be traced back to the Ancient
Greek Philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, their development as separate fields of knowledge
only begun in the modern period. The development and progress of human knowledge Social Sciences
can be traced back to before the birth of modern social sciences in the west, the study of society,
culture and politics were based on social and political philosophy (Scott 2006). this was largely due to
the dominance of religious scheme of the church.

Philosophy is district from Science. Science would have not development if it remained under the
wings of philosophy and theology. Philosophy is based on a analytic understanding of the nature of
truth asserted about specific topics of issues.

What is Social Science?

Social science is the systematic study of various aspects of the human society. Social sciences is a
major category of academic disciplines concerned with society and the relationships among individuals
within a society. This term is sometimes used to refer to the field of Society.

Social sciences constitute a field of knowledge which studies woman’s/ man’s relationship with her/
his sociocultural environment. Social sciences have become the part of school curriculum across most
of the countries of the Globe including India. Now you recall, when you were studying at school, you
also studied social sciences (or social studies) as the part of your school subjects. In this unit, we will
be acquainted with the nature of social sciences with special reference to evolution and conception of
social sciences; social sciences in different ages; current status of society; components of social
sciences; and interdisciplinary and integration perspectives in social sciences. In this unit, we explain to
you the nature of social sciences through theoretical discussions and argumentation, realistic examples
and experiences, and simulated project based activities and practices.
Nature of Social Science

The real nature of the discipline can be well understood by analyzing the above definitions:

1. A unique combination of various disciplines.

2. A study of human relationships,
3. A study of man’s development through ages,
4. A realistic course of study,
5. It forms an important part of the core-curriculum,
6. It includes commitment to action.
7. Aims at preparing the learner for wholesome social living.

Scope of Social Science

The scope of social studies is very vast and wide as wide as the world itself and as lengthy as the
history of man. According to Michaelis”the breadth of social studies programmed should provide for a
variety of experiences so that the child’s learning will be well rounded and well balanced”.

The main points are as follows:

1. Vast and wide as the world. It is as wide as the world and as long as the world. It is the study of
human relationships in areas as:

a. Peopleof one’s own nationality and people across the world.

b. People and various kinds of institutions.
c. People and Earth
d. People and Time
e. People and Resources

2. A finctional study of Natural and Physical sciences and Fine arts.

3. A study of current affairs
4. A study leading to international understanding
5. Practical studies of various resources

Social Sciences; Evolution and Conception

Social sciences comprise a branch/field of knowledge which basically studies human society or
human relationship. Social sciences study the social behavior of human life. The different
core-components of social behavior of human life are- economic behavior, political behavior, cultural
behavior and tradition, customs and social institutions, religious faiths and ethics, value pattern
followed in society, etc. Social sciences occupy significant component of both university/ higher
education as well as school curriculum. At the university/ higher education/ high school level, different
social science subjects like history, political science, economics, anthropology, etc. are taught to the
learners as independent/ optional subjects. At the school or junior school level, different social science
subjects are taught to the learners under a single and composite instructional area/ subject i.e. social
studies (or social sciences). Now we will discuss the evolution and conception of social sciences.

While ‘social sciences’ evolved during the eighteenth century as a formal field of study and
became a part of university/higher education curriculum, ‘social studies’ (which draws its contents
from different social sciences) evolved during the twentieth century in order to be included in the
school or junior school curriculum. The evolution and growth of social sciences are the byproduct of
modernization, industrialization, renaissance, urbanization, growth of science and many more related
developments. There were many changes in human lives and living, which were hardly seen before
during the eighteenth century and afterwards. The whole world took a radical turn since the eighteenth
century. Renaissance in Italy and other European countries, French revolution 1789, industrial
revolutions starting from 1767, American war of independence 1776, development of new forms of
capitalism, immense development in natural sciences, etc. brought both happiness and difficulties for
human society in the world.
Difference between Social Sciences and Natural Sciences

Social Sciences is a major category of academic disciplines, concerned with society and
relationship among individuals within a society. It in turn has many branches each of which is
considered a “social science”. On the other hand, Natural Science is a branch of science concerned
with the description, prediction and understanding of natural phenomena, based on observational
evidence.

In general, natural science is the study of the universe and how it works, while social sciences are
building a bridge between the two, but we still are a long way from truly understanding why people
behave the way they do, let alone being able to predict behavior like Isaac Asimov’s psycho historian.

Difference between Humanities and Social Science

There are areas of study that deal with human aspects and lives that are often referred to as
humanities. There are also fields of study that deal with human societies and relationships that are very
similar to humanities subjects.

 Humanities are branch of science that deals with the heritage and question of what makes us
human humanities deal with law, history, ancient languages, modern languages,
philosophy, history, religion, and visual performing arts. Humanities are considered to be
more philosophical than social sciences.

Lesson 4.2 Various Disciplines of Social Sciences

1. Anthropology is the study of all human aspects of human life and cultures. It examines such
topics as how people live, what they think, what they produce, and how they interact with
their environment.

2. Economics is a science which study the human behavior as the relationship between ends
and sears, which means have alternative.

3. Geography is the science that studies the lands, feature, inhabitants, and phenomena of
Earth. As “the bridge between the human and physical sciences”.

4. History is the study of the past events. It is a social science in the sense that it is a systematic
attempt to learn about and verify past events and to relate them to one another and to be
present. The subject matter of history is everything that has already happened. The study of
history involves identifying, arranging, and patterning.

5. Political Science is the study of government, its structure and the activity associated with it.
It is a body of knowledge about the state in its various manifestations; politics refers to the
actual operations of a political system.

6. Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and the mind. It is social science because
humans are social cratures. Social psychology is the study of the individuals behavior as it
influences and is influenced by the behavior of others.

7. Sociology the origin of the word sociology is from the latin word “socius” and the greek
“ology”, indicate its nature as a hybrid discipline that can never aspire to the status of a
social science or a current body of knowledge. It is the systematic study of relationship
among people.

8. Demography is the interdisciplinary study of human populations, it deals with the social
characteristics of the population and their development through time.

9. Linguistics the scientific study of language and its structure, including the study of
morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics.
JULIE VERAME PALMA, MSPsych.GC